Joy Name Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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In This Article

Origin, Meaning, And History Of Joy

Joy is a girl’s name derived from the Latin ‘gaudia,’ which later led to the Middle English and Old French word ‘joie.’ It means ‘happiness,’ ‘great pleasure,’ ‘ delight,’ ‘jubilation,’ and ‘rejoicing.’ It could also be of Spanish origin, meaning ‘beautiful jewel.’ In India, Joy is used as a boy’s name.

Joy is one of the happy names, along with Merry, Delight, and Bliss, popular in the Middle ages. The name was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century when it was associated with religion and happiness in God’s company. In the 19th century, it was also used more commonly among the other classes. Joy also found popularity in the era with the revival of other high-virtue names, such as Constance, Faith, Grace, and Hope.

The name is more popular because of its easy spelling and straightforward pronunciation. It is a one-syllable word that is easy to pronounce and write. Since it is such a short name, it does not require a nickname. However, you can use Jo, Joie, Joey, Joe, and Joya as nicknames for Joy. The most common variation of Joy is Joyce.

The name has made quite a few appearances in pop culture. Joy Mercer is a character on the mystery Nickelodeon TV show House of Anubis. Joy Keenan is the birth name of Dr. Temperance Brennan, the main character in the famous TV series Bones. Joy Birch is a character in the 2013 movie Prisoners. Joy Newsome is the main character in Emma Donoghue’s book Room. Later, the book was made into a movie starring Brie Larson as Joy. Joy McNally is the name of a character in the 2008 romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas. Joy is a character in the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar. Nurse Joy is a character in the Pokemon video game. Joy is also the main character in the Disney movie Inside Out. Finally, Joy Wang is a character in the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Besides these fictional appearances, Joy is the name of a 2015 movie starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, the American inventor and entrepreneur.

Joy

Meaning Happiness; Great pleasure; Delight; Rejoice; Beautiful jewel

Gender Girl

Religion Hindu

Origin Nigerian, United States

Lucky Number 5

Syllables One

Length 1 word, 3 letters, 1 vowel, 2 consonants

Type Short and easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Joy?

Pronounced as joi

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Joy in English.

Famous People With The Name Joy

NameProfession
Joy BeharAmerican comedian, TV host, and actress, known for hosting The Joy Behar Show and Late Night Joy
Joy WilliamsAmerican singer and songwriter, released five solo albums and won four Grammy Awards
Joy DavidmanAmerican poet and writer, known as a child prodigy and won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition (1938)
Joy BryantAmerican actress, businesswoman, and fashion model, appeared in ads for well-known fashion brands and worked in movies like Spider-Man 2
Joy LaurenAmerican actress and director known for playing Danielle Van de Kamp in Desperate Housewives

Joy On The Popularity Chart

According to the Social Security Administration graphs below, we can see how the name has fared over the last few years in the US. So let us have a look at them.

Popularity Over Time

In 1980, 1,717 babies per million were given the name Joy. However, in the following years, its popularity declined. In the last decade, the name has been becoming popular again. In 2016, 952 babies per million had this name, and in 2021, 773 babies per million were named Joy. Check the graph for a better understanding.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The rank of this name has shown a reasonably steady graph. In 1980, the name ranked 165. In the following years, it lost its place in the top 200 and entered the top 500. In 2008, the name ranked 536. Later, its position improved. In 2021, the rank was 407. Refer to the graph for more insights.

Source: Social Security Administration

Joy On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Joy is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Joy

Joy is a beautiful name with a gentle sound and easy spelling. Here are some other names that have a similar sound.

Popular Sibling Names For Joy

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Joy, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Joy

Find matching brother names for Joy and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Joy

Looking for some suitable sister names for Joy? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With J

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter J to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Similar Meaning As Joy

If you liked the meaning of the name Joy, you might want to look at some names with similar meaning.

Popular Songs On The Name Joy

Joy has a lyrical presence in various songs. Check them out here.

Song	Artist
Joy	Post Malone
Joy Of My Life	Chris Stapleton
JOY (Unspeakable) (feat. Pharrell Williams)	Voices of Fire
Joy To The World	Three Dog Night
Joy In The Morning	Tauren Wells
Joy	Andy Grammer
Joy	Santana
Joy	Post Malone

Joy’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name joy. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Makar (Capricorn)
Starting letters for Makar (Capricorn) rashi	KH, J
Representation	Crocodile
Element	Earth
Ruling body	Saturn
Quality	Movable

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Makar (Capricorn) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Utharashada (Utharadam)	Capricorn (0 to 10 degrees)	Sun	Be, Bo, Ja, Ji, Bha, Bhe, Bho, Jaa, Jee
Sravana (Shravana, Thiruvonam)	Capricorn (10 to 23.20 degrees)	Moon	Ju, Je, Jo, Khi, So, Khu, Khe, Kho
Dhanishta (Avittam)	Capricorn (23.20 to 30 degrees)	Mars	Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge, Gee

Infographic: Know The Name Joy‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Joy In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Joy in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Joy, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Joy	English	en
喜悦	Chinese	zh-CN
आनंद	Hindi	hi
Joy	Spanish	es
Joy	French	fr
مرح	Arabic	ar
আনন্দ	Bengali	bn
Joy	Portuguese	pt
радость	Russian	ru
خوشی	Urdu	ur
Joy	Indonesian	id
Joy	German	de
喜び	Japanese	ja
आनंद	Marathi	mr
ఆనందం	Telugu	te
Joy	Turkish	tr
மகிழ்ச்சி	Tamil	ta
Joy	Vietnamese	vi
Joy	Tagalog	tl
기쁨	Korean	ko
Joy	Hausa	ha
Joy	Swahili	sw
Joy	Javanese	jv
Joy	Italian	it
ਆਨੰਦ ਨੂੰ	Punjabi	pa
આનંદ	Gujarati	gu
ความสุข	Thai	th
ಸಂತೋಷ	Kannada	kn
ደስታ	Amharic	am
आनंद	Bhojpuri	bho
Joy	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Joy In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

joy

In Sign Language

joy

In Braille Alphabet

joy

In Morse Code

joy

Name Numerology For Joy

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Joy, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Joy

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Joy and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Joy

Discover the presence of Joy in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Joy Kali Kalkattawali		2023
Look Up and See Joy	Tai tou jian xi	2023
Joy Is the Acid Test	A Alegria é a Prova dos Nove	2023
Day of Joy	Joy & Jim	2022
The Joy of Serendipity	Lykkelige omstændigheder	2022
Joy Womack: The White Swan	Джой: Американка в русском балете	2021
Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times	Misja: szczęście, Mission: Joy - Zuversicht & Freude in bewegten Zeiten, Poslání: Radost - Hledání štěstí v neklidných časech, Αποστολή: Χαρά - Βρίσκοντας την ευτυχία σε ταραγμένους καιρούς, 喜悅：達賴喇嘛遇見屠圖主教	2021
The Grapes of Joy	Shiawase no Masukatto, Shiawase no muscat	2021

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Joy?

The name Joy means happiness, great pleasure, delight, jubilation, rejoicing, and beautiful jewel.

2. What is the origin of the name Joy?

The name Joy is of Latin origin.

3. How to pronounce the name Joy?

Joy is pronounced as joi.

4. What positive qualities or attributes are often associated with people named Joy?

People named Joy, according to numerology, are associated with personality number eight. These individuals are often seen as strong, confident individuals who like to challenge themselves to achieve higher goals. They are also perceived as having good business instincts. However, these personality traits may not hold true for every individual named Joy as unique, and their personalities can vary widely.

5. How does Joy rank in terms of popularity in different countries or regions?

In the United States in 2022, the name Joy ranked 467th in terms of popularity (1). In 2022, it was the 76th most popular name in France, the 243rd most popular in the Netherlands, and the 506th most popular in England and Wales in 2021.

6. What middle names pair well with the name Joy?

Since the name Joy represents happiness, adding middle names like Katherine or Reina, which mean ‘pure,’ can give the name a richer meaning and evoke a sense of ‘pure joy.’ One-syllable names like Gwen, Jade, and Paige are also great options to consider.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Popularity of the name Joy
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

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